Auction supports efforts of education foundation
BY TOYNETT HALL
Staff Writer

TOYNETT HALL Bernadine Borowick (l) and Kathy O'Brien examine pieces of art up for sale prior to the benefit art auction sponsored by the Howell Township Education Foundation.

HOWELL - Going once, going twice, sold ... were the words of the auctioneer as he sold pieces of fine art to members and supporters of the Howell Township Education Foundation.

The art auction was held on March 22 at Howell Memorial Middle School, Route 524. According to board members of the foundation, this event was one of the biggest and most successful fund-raisers the foundation has ever sponsored.

The Howell Township Education Foundation is a voluntary nonprofit organization established in 2005.

According to information provided on the foundation's Internet Web site, the group's mission "is the promotion, sponsorship and expansion of innovative programs designed to enhance and enrich the curriculum of Howell's public school students."

Mary Cerretani, the president of the Howell Board of Education, said the foundation sponsored the art auction to raise funds "so that our teachers will have the opportunity to go that one step beyond and do things for the students that the Board of Education is unable to do for them."

According to Jacquelyn Tennant, a member of the foundation's Board of Trustees, an educational foundation is one of the ways a community must supplement the a school district's traditional operating budget.

Bernadine Borowick, the foundation's program allocation chairwoman, said the foundation will soon review applications that have been submitted for the next round of grants.

"We are in the process of accepting new grant applications for the coming school year. April 13 will be the day when the grant applications are due to the principals, then they will be reviewed by the central administrators to see that they support and enrich the curriculum. They will come to the committee and we will look at them with an eye toward the quality that's within them," Borowick said.

Dr. Anthony Novembre, chairman of the foundation, said the group is hoping to increase the amount of grants to be awarded in the next year. He said $11,000 in grants were awarded this year and the goal is to increase that amount to $15,000 next year.

According to information provided by Cherylyn Murphy, the school district's communication research officer, the art auction raised about $7,000 including ticket sales, donations, plus a percentage of the artwork sold.

"There were a total of 154 items available for auction. We sold 94 pieces and the highest bid was on an item which went for $950," Murphy said.

Catering for the art auction was provided by Applebee's of Howell.

The next fundraiser scheduled on the foundation's agenda will be a food tasting benefit to be held on May 17 at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Farmingdale.

The Howell Township Education Foundation may be contacted by sending an e-mail message to anovembre

@howelltownshipeducationfounda-tion.org or by phone at (732) 919-0095, ext. 3851.